NAB Panel Focuses on Complexities of Modern Day Mastering

AMIA President Andrea Kalas to Moderate with Experts from Dolby, HBO, Disney and Netflix

Last Updated: April 7, 2016 10:32 am GMT

(Los Angeles, California--April 7, 2016) =Experts involved in the intricacies of post production and distribution pipelines will come together at NAB 2016 to discuss the hurdles in addressing a constantly evolving marketplace that is embracing new platforms. As part of NAB's Future of Cinema Conference, "Next-Generation Mastering: Where do we go from Here?" will take a deep dive into the ways High Dynamic Range (HDR), Ultra High Definition (UHD), and object-based audio affect workflow efficiencies and final deliverables - including the elusive master for preserving content for future formats, monetization opportunities, and generations to come. Moderated by AMIA President Andrea Kalas, the panel will take place on Sunday, April 17, at 10:45 a.m. in Room S222 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Rounding out the panel are Thad Beier, director of Image Platform Workflow at Dolby; Rod Bogart, director of Production R&D at HBO; Annie Chang, VP of Post-Production Technology at The Walt Disney Studio; and Chris Fetner, director of Global Media Engineering and Partnerships for Netflix.

"Today's ecosystem grows more complex, and professionals archiving content from multiple deliverables need to understand what components of the imaging and audio chain form the 'new original negative,'" said Kalas, an archivist at some of the largest archives in the world from London to Hollywood. "Currently, there is no standard for a single master. Our goal for the panel is to explore ways of leveraging the existing infrastructure to obtain long-lasting results."

The Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) plans to address this same topic at their annual conference in Pittsburgh in November. The AMIA annual conference provides an opportunity for colleagues and those interested in the field to meet, share information and work together. Furthermore, the exploration of managing digital assets, via real-world cast studies, will be presented at AMIA's Digital Asset Symposium (DAS) in New York on May 5. DAS brings together a cross-section of experts from different industries and disciplines sharing user perspectives and expert analysis to examine the full life cycle of the media asset - from content creation to rights management to assuring asset preservation. Programmed by leading professionals working in the field, DAS offers a unique perspective and an opportunity to exchange information with colleagues facing similar challenges.

"AMIA is the common thread linking the communities tasked with the acquisition, preservation, and exhibition of audio-visual materials," added Kalas. "Regardless of the segment of the industry, saving our visual heritage remains a vital movement, that has been compounded by multiplying formats and a massive data explosion. By fostering cooperation among individuals and organizations, we can help each other solve the challenges that have been created by advancing technologies."

The Future of Cinema Conference at NAB 2016 will gather the brightest industry minds to discuss how to ensure today's works are preserved in its highest form for generations to come. It is presented in partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

ABOUT AMIA
As the world's largest international association of professional media archivists, the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) is uniquely poised to bring together a broad range of experts. Members represent film studios, corporate and national archives, historical societies, labs, post production, universities, footage libraries and more. Because of this diverse membership, AMIA provides an opportunity to interact with every facet of the field and a single forum to address the best ways to preserve our media assets. Visit http://www.amianet.org/ for more information, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter (@AMIAnet) or YouTube.